Salad concept Central festival gone.

[kalbo123]

I was in central festival the other day and noticed that Salad Concept is no longer there.

It's a pity because they were one of the few local restaurants in the mall, good to see they are still doing well at Nimanheamin.

Shows in my opinion how hard it is to make money in the Chiang Mai malls and that it's basically only good for shops/restaurants

that are related to a chain.

And also that having a successful business in town is no guarantee for succes in a Mall.

[mikey88]

Malls are the same every where in the world...exactly the same....horrible.

[sfokevin]

Sadly this is just the beginning... And I would expect Maya & Promande to be the same...

The only way to survive is to get Elvis to sing nightly at your food court...

[iainiain101]

Only restaurant worth visiting in Festival is Wine Connection. Promenada has an excellent choice of good restaurants. Airport has no food worth mentioning, but good for shopping. Maya is an excuse to park at the Pub and have a few good beers. All are good for movies.

Just my opinion of the malls.

Edited October 1, 2014 by iainiain101

[chiang mai]

It was never going to be a good restaurant, let alone a great one, it was a poor take off of Ohkajhu (sp) which is simply outstanding.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Only restaurant worth visiting in Festival is Wine Connection. Promenada has an excellent choice of good restaurants. Airport has no food worth mentioning, but good for shopping. Maya is an excuse to park at the Pub and have a few good beers. All are good for movies.

Just my opinion of the malls.

Excuse me,

But CF have the best KFC in CM.

[beau thai]

From my experience of Salad Concept at CF, the staff and management were a pale shadow of the successful Nimman business. Whatever formula you have, unless it is well managed it will fail. And I am glad it is gone and hope something better replaces it.

But for me, the salad bar at Sizzler in CF is unbeatable. And they have a well trained team running that show. Went there the other day with a party of 10 (mostly thai) and nothing was too much trouble. Very enjoyable meal, and evening

[daoyai]

They (salad con.) are opening soon on Chayapoom road, near Miguels.

[elektrified]

Salad Concept is a success story in C.M. and the owner is lovely. But the Central Festival location was really a disappointment and the writing was on the wall from the beginning that it wouldn't make it.

[sfokevin]

Only restaurant worth visiting in Festival is Wine Connection. Promenada has an excellent choice of good restaurants. Airport has no food worth mentioning, but good for shopping. Maya is an excuse to park at the Pub and have a few good beers. All are good for movies.

Just my opinion of the malls.

Excuse me,

But CF have the best KFC in CM.

I beg to differ... The KSK KFC is the best... and has upper level seating!...

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Only restaurant worth visiting in Festival is Wine Connection. Promenada has an excellent choice of good restaurants. Airport has no food worth mentioning, but good for shopping. Maya is an excuse to park at the Pub and have a few good beers. All are good for movies.

Just my opinion of the malls.

Excuse me,

But CF have the best KFC in CM.

I beg to differ... The KSK KFC is the best... and has upper level seating!...

I enjoy both, but the window seating overlooking the m/c park and entrance at CF wins hands down.

[clokwise]

This is great news!! Now maybe they'll open a Japanese restaurant at Festival !

I once had a waitress there literally walk away while we were talking to her about our order, mid-sentence, simply because another table called her. My wife and I sat there shocked initially, then we decided to wait and see how long before she remembered she still didn't take our order. She never returned. Needless to say, neither did we. The entire time there the wait staff were listless and trying to avoid doing any work and were obviously avoiding eye contact with customers. I won't miss the place.

[elektrified]

This is great news!! Now maybe they'll open a Japanese restaurant at Festival !

Isn't there about 4 or 5 of them already???

I don't like the food at any of the restaurants at Central Festival. I never eat there. Sizzler is O.K. at least you know what you are getting, but that's it. The food courts upstairs and downstairs are terrible and expensive for food courts. Usually the g/f loves Jiang but she doesn't like the one there. For us, the kid's play area, cinema, and the Central Tops supermarket are about all we ever go there for. If we see something in Central that we like, we make note of it and then go over to Central KSK and buy it there for a lot less money. The exact same coffee maker at Festival was 25% less at KSK! That's quite a difference.

[jobin]

Sizzler? The salad bar may be acceptable but the prices are way beyond reasonable. BTW, what's the lowest cost 'salad/soup' only choice? Have been only to KSK. Would not seek other locations.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

This is great news!! Now maybe they'll open a Japanese restaurant at Festival !

Isn't there about 4 or 5 of them already???

I don't like the food at any of the restaurants at Central Festival. I never eat there. Sizzler is O.K. at least you know what you are getting, but that's it. The food courts upstairs and downstairs are terrible and expensive for food courts. Usually the g/f loves Jiang but she doesn't like the one there. For us, the kid's play area, cinema, and the Central Tops supermarket are about all we ever go there for. If we see something in Central that we like, we make note of it and then go over to Central KSK and buy it there for a lot less money. The exact same coffee maker at Festival was 25% less at KSK! That's quite a difference.

Cinema at CF no good, you have to be 60 to get the senior discount card.

Cinema at Maya, Prom, much better, after you are 50, its half price (80bht weekdays, 100bht weekends)

[elektrified]

This is great news!! Now maybe they'll open a Japanese restaurant at Festival !

Isn't there about 4 or 5 of them already???

I don't like the food at any of the restaurants at Central Festival. I never eat there. Sizzler is O.K. at least you know what you are getting, but that's it. The food courts upstairs and downstairs are terrible and expensive for food courts. Usually the g/f loves Jiang but she doesn't like the one there. For us, the kid's play area, cinema, and the Central Tops supermarket are about all we ever go there for. If we see something in Central that we like, we make note of it and then go over to Central KSK and buy it there for a lot less money. The exact same coffee maker at Festival was 25% less at KSK! That's quite a difference.

Cinema at CF no good, you have to be 60 to get the senior discount card.

Cinema at Maya, Prom, much better, after you are 50, its half price (80bht weekdays, 100bht weekends)

Yes, cinema at Prom and Maya are excellent too. Never more than about 8 people in the cinema at any time! They consider 50 a "Senior Citizen" here? LOL. O.K. thanks for that, will have to apply!

[elektrified]

Sizzler? The salad bar may be acceptable but the prices are way beyond reasonable. BTW, what's the lowest cost 'salad/soup' only choice? Have been only to KSK. Would not seek other locations.

Sizzler in Thailand is much better than in the USA. Completely different operation. Beef is very high-quality. Salad bar is about 189 Baht now I think. Was about 149 for the longest time, but everything has gone up.

[daveAustin]

Malls are the same every where in the world...exactly the same....horrible.

I hope I don't become drab in my old age.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Malls are the same every where in the world...exactly the same....horrible.

I hope I don't become drab in my old age.

Not many slim young girls parading in shorts in US Malls.

(None that would talk to an old guy like me anyway)

[iainiain101]

So you won't be using the new drive through KFC when it opens?

[beau thai]

Sizzler? The salad bar may be acceptable but the prices are way beyond reasonable. BTW, what's the lowest cost 'salad/soup' only choice? Have been only to KSK. Would not seek other locations.

Exactly what I thought from checking out there menu and I have avoided it in the past but as I was joining others there, it as not my call.

I thoroughly enjoyed and although a little expensive by CM standards, it was so good, I though it good value in the end.

Definitely worth a try once....

[northernjohn]

Sizzler? The salad bar may be acceptable but the prices are way beyond reasonable. BTW, what's the lowest cost 'salad/soup' only choice? Have been only to KSK. Would not seek other locations.

Went to the sizzler at CF for my birthday. As you say the prices were way out of line for what you get. Yes the salad bar is OK.

I think not sure you can get it for 170 baht.

[Sparkles]

Sizzler? The salad bar may be acceptable but the prices are way beyond reasonable. BTW, what's the lowest cost 'salad/soup' only choice? Have been only to KSK. Would not seek other locations.

Went to the sizzler at CF for my birthday. As you say the prices were way out of line for what you get. Yes the salad bar is OK.

I think not sure you can get it for 170 baht.

Sizzler salad bar in Bangkok used to be 100 baht a few years back, favourite grazing place for us underpaid, cheap charlie teachers.

The other main attraction was seeing how much salad a Thai student,those with money, could load on the one plate,resembled a mountain,total work of art.

[beau thai]

Sizzler? The salad bar may be acceptable but the prices are way beyond reasonable. BTW, what's the lowest cost 'salad/soup' only choice? Have been only to KSK. Would not seek other locations.

Went to the sizzler at CF for my birthday. As you say the prices were way out of line for what you get. Yes the salad bar is OK.

I think not sure you can get it for 170 baht.

Sizzler salad bar in Bangkok used to be 100 baht a few years back, favourite grazing place for us underpaid, cheap charlie teachers.

The other main attraction was seeing how much salad a Thai student,those with money, could load on the one plate,resembled a mountain,total work of art.

I remember playing that loading up game in the west, with slices of cucumber around the perimeter to extend the height and capacity of the bowl!

But with Sizzler now there is no need as you can keep returning as often as you wish!! And that includes the chocolate mousse etc- oh dear...

[Konini]

Sizzler? The salad bar may be acceptable but the prices are way beyond reasonable. BTW, what's the lowest cost 'salad/soup' only choice? Have been only to KSK. Would not seek other locations.

Sizzler in Thailand is much better than in the USA. Completely different operation. Beef is very high-quality. Salad bar is about 189 Baht now I think. Was about 149 for the longest time, but everything has gone up.

I've been twice over the years, once many years ago in Pattaya and once a couple of years ago at Airport Plaza. On both occasions I was struck by how substandard they were compared to the Australian ones, although all Australian Sizzler's apart from those in Queensland closed down years and years ago, 15 at least, maybe more. They were great value for money and I would often just get the salad and desert bar and still come out stuffed.

If the Thai ones are better than the US ones, I'd hate to see how bad they are there.

[Dante99]

My lucky day reading this thread. I have not been to a Sizzler or a movie for so long I can not remember the last time, and it feels gooood.

[Ulysses G.]

If the Thai ones are better than the US ones, I'd hate to see how bad they are there.

I have not been home for almost 25 years, but Sizzler in America way better than the Thai ones - at least back then.

Edited October 4, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[daoyai]

UG and Konini both have nostalgia attacks, maybe sizzla was better 15 or 25 years ago... but prolly so were you !

I think the sizzla salad bar is an ok value if you eat alot, I stopped going when they stopped serving asparagus,,,

Edited October 4, 2014 by daoyai

[elektrified]

Sizzler? The salad bar may be acceptable but the prices are way beyond reasonable. BTW, what's the lowest cost 'salad/soup' only choice? Have been only to KSK. Would not seek other locations.

Sizzler in Thailand is much better than in the USA. Completely different operation. Beef is very high-quality. Salad bar is about 189 Baht now I think. Was about 149 for the longest time, but everything has gone up.

I've been twice over the years, once many years ago in Pattaya and once a couple of years ago at Airport Plaza. On both occasions I was struck by how substandard they were compared to the Australian ones, although all Australian Sizzler's apart from those in Queensland closed down years and years ago, 15 at least, maybe more. They were great value for money and I would often just get the salad and desert bar and still come out stuffed.

If the Thai ones are better than the US ones, I'd hate to see how bad they are there.

They are terrible in the USA now. In the 1970's they were quite good. They used to have a coupon every week in the local California newspapers for steak and lobster, baked potato, and salad bar for perhaps US $9.00 or even less - I forget exactly. But it was a bargain, high-quality, and very popular. We would go about once a week. At some point they went into bankruptcy and went straight downhill and never recovered. On top of that, they are famous for the outbreak of e. coli bacteria that originated in their restaurant about 15 years ago where one person died and 60 fell violently ill. That was it for them. Don't know how many are actually still open.